forsberg_us wrote:

Personally, I like Strauss. I appreciate his snark, but I also find him the most honest and objective of the writers.

He has got the state the painstakingly obvious and act like he is smarter then everyone else thing going for him.  He does the drops a hint of big news that turns out to be nothing thing and he rarely backs up his claims with indepth facts.  He acts like everyone should just take his word for it.  I do like how he plays alittle less favortism to the club tho.

Max wrote:

APIAD wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Personally, I like Strauss. I appreciate his snark, but I also find him the most honest and objective of the writers.

He has got the state the painstakingly obvious and act like he is smarter then everyone else thing going for him.  He does the drops a hint of big news that turns out to be nothing thing and he rarely backs up his claims with indepth facts.  He acts like everyone should just take his word for it.  I do like how he plays alittle less favortism to the club tho.

Are you sure you weren't describing your opinion of me?

LOL

forsberg_us wrote:

Personally, I like Strauss. I appreciate his snark, but I also find him the most honest and objective of the writers.

He's the best beat guy on the P-D's sports staff. But I think he tends to go out of his way sometimes to see things that aren't there, or barely there. And AP's take about him being overly dramatic at times is accurate. Is the firing of the bullpen coach really a stop-the-presses moment?

Last edited by artie_fufkin (10/26/2012 10:13 am)

Max wrote:

I think you are focusing on a different part than I am, Artie.  According to HPTiStL:

a) "best fans in baseball" is a marketing tool (thus, a front office policy)
b) players are reminded to talk this angle up when talking with the press for big roster announcements.
c) this has become "a wee tiresome".

"Players are reminded to cite the fan base as part of their talking points at any contract signing or trade announcement. To some, the whole "best fans in baseball" marketing tool becomes a wee tiresome."

Oh, I agree having that as at least an unofficial team policy is more than a little bit silly, but it's bad form to have players who make millions of dollars playing a game seem ungrateful to the people who have to lay out half a week's salary to bring their family to see them.
And I'm not sure the fans in San Francisco are the barometer by which every other fan base should be measured. Remember, these people rioted when the 49ers won a Super Bowl a few years ago.

artie_fufkin wrote:

Oh, I agree having that as at least an unofficial team policy is more than a little bit silly, but it's bad form to have players who make millions of dollars playing a game seem ungrateful to the people who have to lay out half a week's salary to bring their family to see them.
And I'm not sure the fans in San Francisco are the barometer by which every other fan base should be measured. Remember, these people rioted when the 49ers won a Super Bowl a few years ago.

It isnt that silly.  It is marketing.  What would be better.  To call us the averagest fans in baseball.  It would be closer to the truth but probably would fill any seats.  I am also sure it isnt that much different then other teams.  Every player thanks and mentions the fans.  Do you really think they all care.

Is Strauss really the one who should be bringing this up.  He is probably the most vocal of the PD staff but still his employer stance on sucking off the players and front office is what gets a "wee tiresome".  I mean feeding us a line that Furcal and Kozma are great fielders and all the other BS.  They buy into the happyest baseball town in America theme bigger than anyone.  Well they might be tied with FSMW.

"Is Strauss really the one who should be bringing this up."

Strauss brings it up to rile up the masses.  The "anonymous player criticizes fans" angle was first posted on Twitter where he knows he's going to receive dozens of responses from irate fans.

tkihshbt wrote:

I read Strauss' article talking about next year and it pleases me that they see the bench as an area needing an upgrade. If they want to explain how they outscored opponents by 117 runs and lost 21 of 47 one-run games, look no further than that grotesque crew that included Matt Carpenter and...umm....

Also, I really don't think Jay has center field locked up to the degree Mozeliak said.

We might be overrating Carpenter because of how bad everyone else was.  Kind of like when Furcal came in the trade.  When you dont have anything to compare them to it is hard.


What other options do they have in center?  Unless trading is an option and if it is I hope they address other issues, I dont know who they would sign.  They could overpay for Angel Pagan.  God I hope not.  They wont pay Josh Hamilton.  Shane Victorino isnt better then Jay.  In that case neither is Pagan.  BJ Upton has more power but less BA.  Who would bat leadoff?  Plus Jay is a gold glover.  The olny way I wouldnt have Jay starting opening day is if I traded him because I thought his value was peeking.

Last edited by APIAD (10/26/2012 12:11 pm)

If I were to quibble, I don't think he made a big deal of the news that a coaching would be addressed very soon.  It was a response to a chat question.

Bottom line: I enjoy reading his chats (much more than most of the columnists columns, for instance), and his Spring Training articles are usually spot on.  He's knowledgable, funny, and clearly has a good idea of what is going on inside the organization at multiple levels.  He says something off-the-cuff in a chat, like "I'm among those who believe Skip's place on the team in question," and the next day Mozeliak telegraphs that message.  That's typical, not rare.  And he is also one of the few St. Louis sports journalists who will question the team-dictated CW.

APIAD wrote:

So the front office is the employer, right?  And the players are the employee, right?  Basicly an employee is saying they are "wee bit tired" of being told what to do by their employer.  This is some shock and unheard of stuff.

If the front office then uses that meme, and its influence in the press, to assert that St. Louis is a great place to play and players should take a discount just for the joy of playing here, and they then appear to bully and publicly screw over people who won't sign at a discount, then yeah, I think the workers have the right to find it a "wee tiresome".

"Bottom line: I enjoy reading his chats (much more than most of the columnists columns, for instance), and his Spring Training articles are usually spot on.  He's knowledgable, funny, and clearly has a good idea of what is going on inside the organization at multiple levels.  He says something off-the-cuff in a chat, like "I'm among those who believe Skip's place on the team in question," and the next day Mozeliak telegraphs that message.  That's typical, not rare.  And he is also one of the few St. Louis sports journalists who will question the team-dictated CW."

Aye, except I think he sometimes is too circumspect, just to prove to the masses he's not under the thumb of The Man.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (10/26/2012 1:01 pm)

Goold rates the Cardinals' minor league prospects (doesn't include anyone who appeared in the majors)

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/goold-taveras-is-cards-top-prospect/article_be8b1680-75f9-585a-85ec-d6bdf0d23e40.html

Baseball America rates the minor league prospects, by league (includes players who appeared in the majors).

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/birdland/how-cards-prospects-rank-vs-other-clubs-talent/article_0990a8ca-1f8b-11e2-8685-0019bb30f31a.html

forsberg_us wrote:

Goold rates the Cardinals' minor league prospects (doesn't include anyone who appeared in the majors)

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/goold-taveras-is-cards-top-prospect/article_be8b1680-75f9-585a-85ec-d6bdf0d23e40.html

Baseball America rates the minor league prospects, by league (includes players who appeared in the majors).

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/birdland/how-cards-prospects-rank-vs-other-clubs-talent/article_0990a8ca-1f8b-11e2-8685-0019bb30f31a.html

SS Greg Garcia (.408 OBP, 81 runs in Class AA)

Dare we dream?

and FWIW, the picture of Tavares in the article, unfortunately, gave him the appearance of a having a Reggie Jackson type personality.  Pujols was an amazingly low-profile, humble guy, considering the level of his accomplishments.  You go telling a flashy young kid that he's the next Albert Pujols and it could go to his head.